Lights to go dim on foreclosed Christmas House in Torrington

Attorney J. Michael Schonyers held the foreclosure auction across the street from the “Christmas House.”

Attorney J. Michael Schonyers held the foreclosure auction across the street from the “Christmas House.”

Photo: Leslie Hutchison / Hearst Connecticut Media /

Photo: Leslie Hutchison / Hearst Connecticut Media /

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Attorney J. Michael Schonyers held the foreclosure auction across the street from the “Christmas House.”

Attorney J. Michael Schonyers held the foreclosure auction across the street from the “Christmas House.”

Photo: Leslie Hutchison / Hearst Connecticut Media /

Lights to go dim on foreclosed Christmas House in Torrington

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TORRINGTON — Just days before his family’s home was scheduled for a foreclosure auction on Saturday, co-owner Ron Merriman placed a hand-lettered sign on the lawn asking for donations.

“Help Save the Christmas House,” Merriman’s plywood placard read. The sign directed passers-by to donate to his GoFundMe account that was opened about two weeks ago.

Merriman’s public request for financial support came after Webster Bank began foreclosure proceedings in August. The court action was taken because the $771 monthly mortgage had not been paid since the spring of 2017.

The auction began at noon on a sidewalk across the street from the house.

No other bidders, or curious neighbors, attended the proceedings which lasted less than five minutes.

Only one bid of $22,000 was put forward. It came from Webster Bank, which owns the mortgage on the property at 285 Main St.

Attorney J. Michael Schonyers, of Ackerly Brown LLP in Bantam, noted the bank’s bid was faxed to his office on Friday.

He is part of a committee of attorneys in Litchfield County who oversee the auction process for mortgage holders in foreclosure actions.

State regulations allow the mortgage holder to place the first bid in the auction process. With no other bids offered, the auction ended almost as soon as it began.

Merriman did not hire a lawyer until foreclosure documents began arriving in the mail.

The attorney, Fredrick Boland, of Harwinton, according to Merriman, was not able to represent him in any court proceedings.

Boland did not return an email or phone message seeking comment.

Despite the chance to enter into mortgage mediation proceedings, the family repeatedly declined to do so, court records show. The process is required by the state to be offered to any homeowner who is faced with foreclosure actions.

A transcript of a the March hearing shows that Ronald Merriman “expressed his unwillingness to complete or submit any documentation. Mr. Merriman expressed his discontent with Webster Bank...”

Merriman lives in the house with his 87-year-old mother, Alice Merriman, and his sister Donna Merriman.

Years ago, the family talked about selling the house, Donna Merriman said. Her brother, she said, was against the idea.

She said the family had mortgage problems a few years back, after she lost her job, and the mortgage holder, Webster Bank, “was going to work with us.”

It’s not clear if the family followed up on the offer from the bank, but the number of missed mortgage payments kept growing.

The mortgage debt is not the only unpaid financial obligation the family has.

A lien by the City of Torrington was placed on the property to recover unpaid taxes, according to Webster Bank documents.

In addition, the Water Pollution Control Authority is owed for sewer use fees which date back to 2014.

The electric bill to keep the 15,000 or so outdoor Christmas lights lit for a month is about $1,000, Ron Merriman said.

“This is a big sham,” he said repeatedly as he talked about the foreclosure. Merriman alternately blamed city government, the bank, his former attorney and the citizens of Torrington.

“It’s not over yet,” he vowed.

During a recent interview Donna Merriman had tears in her eyes when she said she has no idea where she and her mother would live, if, as it appears inevitable, they are forced to move.

Schoyners said in an earlier interview that owners can be made to leave their foreclosed property within 30 days of a judge’s final ruling. “But that will be around January. I don’t think they’ll be put out on the street in the middle of winter.”